By Tyler F. Thompson (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
NIXA, Mo. – Baseball players are creatures of habit.
But a late start time was announced early Tuesday afternoon due to yet another storm system that pushed through the Ozarks on Monday, giving the teams a bit more time to prep, as the Eagles topped the visiting Tigers, 10-2, Tuesday evening at Nixa.
The Eagles – the fourth-ranked club in Class 6 – and the No. 1 team in Class 5, Willard, epitomized a June playoff ambience as it was standing room only.
Willard struck first, as the Tigers went up 2-0 on an error and a fielder’s choice in the opening frame.
But that would be all the offense the defending Class 5 state champs could muster, as Nixa starting hurler, Keith Piepmeier, went the distance: allowing two runs on five hits.
The win pushes the Eagles to 15-0 on the season and in the driver’s seat in the Central Ozark Conference.
“They [Willard] are a really good team, really well-coached,” said first-year Eagles skipper Logan Hughes. “They compete their butts off and if you make mistakes, they punish you. They did that early, [but] Piepmeier settled in the last few innings.”
And settle in he did, as the 5’10” senior allowed just four hits over the next six innings of work.
So, what changed from the first inning?
“He was unhittable,” added Hughes. “When you have a guy like that, it is easier in the dugout when you can relax. Our guys, they just play so hard. They play with fire and passion.”
Nixa’s hurler gained added confidence in his Uncle Charlie, putting the Tigers in a difficult position.
“His breaking ball got sharper,” said Hughes. “He was landing it early in counts.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Conversely, the Eagles’ offense had one mission: get to Willard senior hurler Kade Biellier, which is far from simplistic.
First, Rylan Michel blasted a 2-run moonshot to the left-field lights in the third.
The ball may not have landed yet.
Tanner Grant concluded the frame with a RBI double, giving the host Eagles the 3-2 lead.
A lead they never squandered.
In the fourth, the Eagles plated three more on Ryan Retone’s RBI double, followed by Michel’s infield RBI single.
A delayed double steal netted the Eagles’ sixth run on the night.
Not wanting to be left out of the equation, Jackson Edwards connected for the RBI double as the Eagles increased the lead to 7-2 in the fifth.
With the pond full of ducks, Retone, again, struck on the 2-run single.
The Eagles have the proverbial target on their backs this spring— commonplace for most Nixa athletes.
But Hughes said there isn’t an elixir to explain the strong play in ’22.
“People ask all the time, and we try to go 1-0 every day,” Hughes said. “Whether we are at practice or we are playing a game, we just try to be great that day. We don’t get caught up in records. I love this team; they are so much fun.”
Piepmeier said the mentality never wavers given the defense that plays behind him, and the offense that can strike an any given juncture: which was evident tonight as the Eagles scored in the third, fourth, and fifth innings.
Said Piepmeier: “I have a good defense behind me. I trust them. It is very nice. Like the first inning, I know we have a good lineup and will score.”
Willard’s Biellier took the loss, going 3 innings and allowing four runs.
For Nixa:
Piepmeier went 7 innings, striking out 7.
Michel: 2-4, HR, 3 RBI; Retone: 2-3, 3 RBI, 2B; John Gholson: 1-2, RBI, 2B; and Jaret Nelson went 1-2, with two walks and one double.
